Ohio State Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies

The Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies is delighted to announce that four of our returning students have earned the newly-established CSEEES Excellence Award, created this year to support students in the absence of federal Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships. To receive the award, students must earn a semester GPA of 3.9 and have a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher. Those enrolled in undergraduate courses in the relevant semester must not receive a grade lower than an A- in any of them. These students maintain the highest academic standards in their foreign language and area studies coursework. Please join us in commending their accomplishment!

Elena Burger has completed her first year of the MA in Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies with a 4.0 GPA. She studies Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Turkish, and Albanian, and her academic interests are in the Balkans and former Ottoman Europe.

Owen McNeely is a rising second-year in the MA in Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies. His academic focus is on Romania and Moldova and he has received a Title VIII Fellowship to study intensive Romanian in Moldova with American Councils this summer. In autumn semester, he will add Russian language study to his portfolio.

Tomas Scott is focusing on the politics and international relations of Central Asia during his MA in Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies. He is learning Russian, and aspires to be a diplomat.

Parker Tysinger is studying Hebrew, Polish and Yiddish while pursuing her MA in Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies. Her research is on children’s experiences during the Holocaust.

Donors wishing to contribute to this initiative can donate online at: give.osu.edu (Search for an Area to Support: Fund 313858) or by mailing a check made out to "The Ohio State University" to:

The Ohio State University Foundation
P.O. Box 736096
Chicago, IL 60673-6096

and noting: "Fund 313858, Slavic Center Development" in the memo line.

This week for , we’re featuring Albanian pop and R&B powerhouse Dafina Zeqiri. With her blend of sleek production, emotional vocals, and a sound that moves between moody R&B and high‑energy pop, Dafina has become one of the most influential voices in the Albanian and Kosovar music scene. Her work explores themes of love, independence, and self‑expression, all wrapped in a polished, modern aesthetic.

Discover her music below:

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dafina-zeqiri/271579322
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Vw76uk7P8yVtTClWyOhac
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/

The 2025-26 academic year marked the 60th anniversary of the Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (CSEEES). This year, CSEEES continued to spread knowledge of the region, support students in study and research, host events for the campus and Columbus community, and much more.

• 8: languages studied by 2026 MA graduates
• 24: Ohio State student presenters at the Midwest Slavic Conference
• 136: participants in folk dance workshops
• $20,922 raised on BuckeyeFunder to make up for federal funding cuts
• 32: Outreach presentations to Ohio K-14 students
• 60 Years of CSEEES

https://slaviccenter.osu.edu/news/cseees-publishes-2025-26-glance

We’ve got a special course for you linguistics lovers out there!

SLAVIC 8802: Language and Memory: The Bilingual Perspective
Days/Time:TR 2:20-3:40 PM
Instructor: Dr. Ludmila Isurin
This course examines psycholinguistic research on memory and its role in language processing, learning, and forgetting in bilinguals. Topics include: the memory construct in bilinguals; semantic and episodic memory; semantic memory and the mental lexicon; implicit and explicit memory; working memory in simultaneous interpreters; bilingual autobiographical memory; memory traces for childhood languages in adoptees; early bilingualism (including infant studies); the ongoing debate on bilingual cognitive advantages; and bilingual memory and aging.

This week’s comes to you from Ohio State’s Romanian Club, featuring the legendary Romanian jazz‑funk group Blazzaj. Formed in 1996 in Timișoara by Eddie Neumann and Florin Barbu, the band first performed under the name FunkinLeFree before adopting the now‑iconic name Blazzaj in 1998 — “jazz alb” spelled backwards, a clever nod to their roots.

Blazzaj quickly became a standout force in Romania’s alternative scene, bringing together musicians from jazz, classical, and hardcore backgrounds. Their sound blends jazz, funk, groove, and improvisation, creating performances that feel both tightly crafted and wildly spontaneous. With punchy horn lines, elastic bass grooves, and a fearless approach to experimentation, Blazzaj has carved out a style that’s unmistakably their own.

If you’re looking to explore one of Romania’s most inventive and enduring modern jazz acts, dive into their catalog below.
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/blazzaj/151350407
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5z3x3Z8vZ8Wc1Y9z0U5Z1u
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/

👨‍🎓 Wojciech Lewandowski w ramach programu Slavic Award 2022-23 prowadził zajęcia dydaktyczne w Ohio State University. W swojej wideo-relacji wyjazd na stypendium Fulbrighta opisuje jako ciekawą przygodę, która nie tylko pozwoliła mu doświadczyć jak to jest wykładać na amerykańskiej uczelni, ale również jak zanurzenie się w amerykańskiej kulturze pozwala spojrzeć na prowadzone przez siebie badania naukowe z innej perspektywy. Mówi tak:

“Wyjazd w ramach programu Fulbright Slavic Award dał mi przede wszystkim możliwość poznania fantastycznych ludzi, naukowców, ludzi kultury, a także zdobyć doświadczenie w adaptacji, zarówno do życia, jak i do pracy w miejscu o nieco innym kulturowym charakterze.
No i przede wszystkim dał mi także pomysły do dalszej pracy, czy to naukowej, czy dydaktycznej.”

➡️ Obejrzyj relację wideo i przeczytaj testimonial Wojtka z pobytu na stypendium: https://fulbright.edu.pl/wojciech-lewandowski/

Przypominamy, że nabór do programu Polish Studies Award 2027-28 (wcześniej Slavic Award) trwa do 14 września br. A już 24 czerwca zapraszamy na spotkanie informacyjne online dotyczące składania wniosków i pobytu na stypendium.

Lace up and join the College of Arts and Sciences on September 20, 2026 for the inaugural Love of Languages 5K Run/Walk! Open to all ages and paces, this fun, feel-good event brings together runners, students, educators and language lovers to celebrate multilingualism, support language learning and get moving. Whether you sprint, jog or stroll, come out and show your love for languages!

More info: https://bit.ly/4uNmxSZ

If you’re looking for a new language to learn, try picking up Polish next semester!

POLISH 1101: Elementary Polish I
Times: TWRF 10:20-11:15 AM
Instructor: Dr. Diana Sacilowski
This course is an introduction to spoken and written contemporary standard Polish, emphasizing grammar and communicative practice in authentic cultural contexts. The focus of our work will be on developing communicative skills encompassing not only grammar, but also vocabulary, culture, pronunciation, writing and the understanding of texts that you will read and listen to.

Spring 2026 intern Aurora Malave interviewed Belarusian playwright Andrei Kureichik, whose time at Ohio State brought a powerful focus to the intersection of theatre and social reality. Through his workshops with New Works Lab and Playwriting students, Kureichik emphasized how dramatists can confront political and cultural upheaval through their craft, offering insights shaped by his own experiences as an artist in exile. His visit left a lasting impact on emerging writers, who engaged deeply with his approach to socially engaged theatre.

A Week With A Famous Playwright: Andrei Kureichik’s Time at Ohio State In late March, famous Belarusian playwright Andrei Kureichik came to Ohio State. During his time here, he gave two workshops to students taking the New Works Lab and Playwriting courses. During their time with Kureichik, students developed their skills as writers by enhancing their understanding of....